It is common for company and Government offices alike to mail notices to customers and area residents that may require a reply by the recipient. Where the reply includes confidential or semi-confidential information it is appropriate for the reply to be enclosed in an envelope. Where confidential or semi-confidential information is not included in the reply, such as where the reply is a questionnaire or notice of address change, the reply may be in the form of a postcard. This reduces postage charges for the reply. Indeed, postal rates for first class mailings differ substantially between letters and postcards. For non-automation mailings the difference in rates is currently $0.14. This provides a significant incentive to utilize postcards for a wide variety of specialized mailings.
It would be desirable for the outgoing mailer, including the notice or statement and the reply postcard, to itself qualify as a postcard to realize postal mail savings for a postcard versus first class mail.
A duplex printed postcard using 007 inch cardstock has been developed for this purpose and is disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,134, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference. While the '134 patent discloses a double postcard structure that comprises a notable advantage and improvement in the art, it would be desirable to provide a double postcard structure for which a postcard production can be accomplished with simplex (1 side) printing.
The present invention provides a double postcard (2-way postcard) pressure seal form construction that may be provided either as a single cut sheet 6×14 inch or continuous 2-up 12×14 inch of, e.g., 28# papaer. Unlike the 7 point two way paper postcard of the '134 patent, in the form construction of the invention variable and non-variable information are simplex printed on the front side of the form concurrently or in series. The backside of the form contains pressure seal cohesive chemistry to bond together and define a double postcard structure when folded in half. Suitable cohesive spots are also applied to the front of the form to permit closure of the double postcards to define a postcard mailer.
The present invention thus provides a USPS postcard mailer with return postcard from a single sheet of, e.g., 28# paper utilizing pressure seal cohesive material. This is accomplished by applying cohesive material in a unique pattern and then folding the 28# pattern into a double V-fold construction to create the return receipt postcard required by and meeting the requirements of USPS.
Thus, the invention may be embodied in an intermediate for a postcard mailer, comprising: a quadrate sheet of paper having parallel top and bottom edges, parallel first and second side edges perpendicular to the top edge and first and second faces; at least first, second and third fold lines parallel to said top and bottom edges dividing said sheet into at least first, second, third, and fourth panels, said first and fourth panels being substantially the same size and said second and third panels being substantially the same size; first adhesive areas provided on the second face of at least one of said first and fourth panels, and on the second face of at least one of and second and third panels for substantially permanently adhering mutually facing portions of said first and fourth panels and mutually facing portions of said second and third panels together as respective first and second postcard plies when said sheet is double V-folded about said fold lines.
The invention may also be embodied in a double postcard size mailer including an integral laminated postcard size reply mail piece which is detachable from said mailer, said mailer comprising: a quadrate sheet of paper having parallel top and bottom edges, parallel first and second side edges perpendicular to the top edge and first and second faces; at least first, second and third fold lines parallel to said top and bottom edges dividing said sheet into at least first, second, third, and fourth panels, said first and fourth panels being substantially the same size and said second and third panels being substantially the same size; first adhesive areas provided on the second face of at least one of said first and fourth panels, and on the second face of at least one of and second and third panels for substantially permanently adhering mutually facing portions of said first and fourth panels and mutually facing portions of said second and third panels together as respective first and second postcard plies when said sheet is double V-folded about said fold lines; and a second adhesive for securing said first and second postcard plies together as an outgoing mailer; said sheet being folded such that (1) said second surfaces of said first and fourth panels lie in contact and are adhered together by said first adhesive pattern to form said postcard size reply mail piece, and (2) said second surfaces of said second and third panels lie in contact and are adhered together by said first adhesive pattern to defining a postcard size outgoing mail piece, and (3) said first surfaces of said first and second panels lie in contact and are held together by said second adhesive.